Lock gate



Y ,r e 1 a. 5 7 t WW, SVT 0, ld m5 M :m DIM@ .in w Y 2 .w wY {.mw www @nf W W 2 e nul. U @www d v\, am .W m N ww a N w A M L e, R A 2 E H .W Wm M n m H m H. ZIMMERMANN LOCK GATE Filed July 26, 1952 ,2 Sheets-Sheet 2i Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATESv Loox GATE Hans Zimmermann, Dortmund, Germany, assignor to the firm Vereinigte Stahlwerke Aktiengesellschaft, Dusseldorf, Germany Application July 26, 1932, Serial No. 624,6791/ In Germany August 14, r1931 7 Claims.

This invention relates to lock gates for sluices, docks or the like and to a construction which has a greater torsional resistance than the hitherto known forms of construction without the necessity of resorting to box-like gates closed on all sides or giving the gate body a greater height than is necessitated by the statically requisite height of the cross-bars. In consequence thereof the gate can be moved even against av considerable onesided water pressure by a driving rod attacking the gate above the water level on the uppermost cross-bar or on one of the upper cross bars, the lowest point of the closing jambl undergoing only a very slight horizontal bending in comparison with other known structural forms of lock gates.

For this purpose a body which is torsion-resistant in itself is built into the gate so as to pass vertically therethrough and is rigidly connected with each cross-bar of the gate. Therefore, upon moving the gate against the water pressure the lower gate corner is allowed to deflect only by reason of its torsion which can be kept small in spite of a low weight.

The said torsion-resisting body which is built into the gate according to the invention partially takes up the water pressure acting upon the gate in the closed position. The body is preferably formed as a tube which is subjected to torsional stresses only during the movement of the gate but no-t in the shut position. In order to transmit the water pressureV in the desired manner the plane, undulated` ror curved metal sheet of the gate wall may be supported upon the tube either directly, or by means of intermediate cross-bars, or by using a combination of these means. The increase of the resistance of the gate is due to vthe fact that the exceedingly great resistance to bending of the tube is used between each two cross-bars to support the gate wall. As this tube is used for the absorption of both the torsional and the bending stresses which do not act at the same time and as furthermore the bending length of the wall or of the cross-bars is decreased (preferably halved by arranging the tube in the centre 45 of the gate), there is a considerable saving in weight. Further it becomes possible to dispense with intermediate jambs, so that the number of the rib connections and structural parts is decreased and the structure is simplified. 50 In the accompanying drawings the invention is illustrated by way of example in several forms of construction. In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of one sample of a lock vgate section with built-iny stiffening member.

' Figure 2 is a plan of the gate of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an elevation of another form of construction of a stiiened gate section wherein the gate wall is* directly supported on the stiften-- ing body.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section through vthe 5 gate section of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevation Aof a further form of construction of a gate Section with stiiening rtube wherein the wall is supported onthe tube by means of intermediate cross-bars. 10

Figure 6 is a horizontal section through a gate section according to Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an elevation of a further form'of construction of a lock gate section with stiiening tube and direct as well as indirect supports of 15 the stowv wall against the tube by using intermediate cross-bars.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section through a gate section according to Figure 7.

In the illustrations, I is the sheet metal wall', 20 2 is the top cross bar, 3 to I0 the intermediate cross-bars and II is the lowest cross-bar of the gate section, I2 is the closing jamb and I3 the pivoting post. The sheet metal wall I is rigidly connected with. theV cross-bars 2-II, with the 25 closing jamb I2 and with the pivoting post I3.

I 4, I5 are the lower and I6, I 'I the upper pivot bearings of the gate section. I 8 indicates a diagonal member extending from the upper pivot bearing to the lower end of the closing jamb I2, 30 on those parts Vof the cross-bars 2I I which are ydirected to the low water level side. I9 is a torsion resisting body-in the present example a tube-.which is rigidly connected to all the crossbars 2II so as to resist twisting. The said rigid 35 connection of the tube I9 with the cross-bars may be produced by welding or riveting. The cross-.bars extend over the entire width of the gate' or they are at least wider than the diameter of the tube I9 so that suiicient material for con- 40 necting the cross-bars with the tube is disposable. The cross-bars are preferably constructed as sheet metal supports through the web plate of which thesaid tube passes. 20l are the pressure studs on the gate and 2| the pressure plates on the lock 45 wall 22. Z3 is the rod for moving the gate section, which is attached at the level of the uppermost cross-bar and is driven by a device arranged on the lock wall 22.

If, when the gate is moved in the opening direc.- rection, thereis a pressure of the upper pool vagainst the lower pool, either due to a not totally equalized water level before and; behind the gate at the beginning of the said movement or due to the formation of a swell during the said movement, then a di'erential water pressure dW will act upon the section of the gate wall belonging to each cross-bar. For example the pressure acting upon the gate wall belonging to the crossbar 6 is shown by hatching in Figure 1. The sum of these single differential water pressures dW isV counteracted by the bending resistant pivoting post which is arranged between the two pivot bearings of the corresponding gate section with a counter-force of the same extent but of Y cross-bars and which is indicated by the arrow lin Figure 2 designated by moment due to water pressure, is transmitted to that cross-bar in the plane of which the draw rod engages, for instance to the cross-bar 2 in Fig. 2. In order to establish the equilibrium at the said cross-bar (for instance cross-bar 2) a torsional moment must act upon it in the opposite direction. This isproduced by a couple formed by the force Z of the draw rod and a counter-force which is equal and opposite thereto and which acts in the upper pivot bearing of the gate. Consequently, all forces of this system are balanced. Since each cross-bar can be bent only by reason of its torsion relative to the cross-bar with which the draw rod engages, the bending of the various cross-bars depends only on the torsional resistance of their connection and it can easily be proved by calculation that even in the case of very small dimensions of the torsion resisting body the deflection can be kept within limits which are of no practical importance.

The above mentioned saving in weight is ob- 'tained over hitherto known structural forms of lock gates as well as in comparison with other systems of gates, for example, sliding gates or .the like which have been employed often on account of the tendency of lock gates to be distorted 'by unilateral pressure during movement.

In place of the hitherto used double diagonal braces which resist bending and which protect the closing jamb against twisting, it is sufficient for the absorption of the perpendicular loads, according to the present invention, to have only one diagonal I8 on the low water side of the gate section, united to the gate wall which is on the high water level side.

This also simplifies the construction and reduces the cost of the new gates, since the diagonals of the already known gates had to be broken .at each cross-bar and then rigidly connected.

The torsion resisting body I9 can be passed through the cross-bars at any desired place, sub- Vject only to being secured against torsion. It is advantageous to construct the torsion resisting body as a buoyant body, so that it will lessen the load on the bearings during the pivoting move- Vment in the water.

In the gate shownin Figures 1 and 2 there is `a comparatively large number of cross-bars 2 to ll. It is, however, often advantageous to decrease the number of cross-bars on account of the many rivets and the large number of cast steel supports (pressure plates 2|) required.

In the forms of construction according to Fig- Ypensed with.

ures 3-8 it is possible to considerably reduce the number of cross-bars, without having to increase the dimensions of the gate wall and therefore the total weight. On the contrary, there will be a saving in weight, since the concentration of 5 the stresses on a lesser number of principal members. is known to result ina lesser weight, as many cross members which otherwise are indispensable though not fully utilized can be dislO In Figures 3 8, the numbers 29, 30 and 24 refer to the only cross-bars with which the torsion resistant stiening tube I9 is rigidly connected, while 25 is the direct support of the gate wall 3 against the tube I9, as shown in Figures 4 and 8. lo This support, according to Figures 3 and 4, is effected by a perpendicular rib 25, according to Figures 5 and 6 by horizontal ribs (26, 21, 28) arranged between the cross-bars, and according to Figures 7 and 8 by a perpendicular rib 25 and horizontal ribs 2E, 21 and 28.

Figures 3-8 show that in the closed position of the gate the water pressure is transferred to a great extent to the tube, so that its high resistance to bending is utilized for the purpose of decreasing the dimensions of the gate section itself and/or its supporting ribs.

The above description shows that the present invention, which is not limited to the forms of application shown in the illustrations, provides 30 an enicient and practical means of increasing the resistance of lock gates, without it being nec-v essary to place the driving device for the draw rod under the water level, and'that at the same time an efficient reduction of the water pressure on the wall` in the closed position, and with a saving in structural material, and a reduction of the load on the hinges, are obtained.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y

1. A lock gate for sluices or the like, comprising a pivoting post, a closing jamb, horizontal cross bars secured to the post and the jamb, a wall connected with the cross bars at the high water side thereof, and a torsion resistant body extending vertically through said cross bars and rigidly connected therewith, whereby torsional stresses arising during movement of the gate against the water pressure will be resisted by said torsion resistant body.

2. A lock gate for sluices or the like, comprising a pivoting post, a closing jamb, horizontal cross bars secured to the post and the jamb, a wall connected with the cross bars at the high water side thereof, and a torsion resistant body of substantially circular cross section extending vertically through said cross bars and rigidly connected therewith, whereby torsional stresses arising during movement of the gate against the water pressure will be resisted by said torsion resistant body.

3. A lock gate for sluices or the like, comprising a pivoting post, a closing jamb, horizontal cross bars secured to the post and the jamb, a wall connected with the cross bars at the high water side thereof, a torsion resistant body extending vertically through said cross bars and rigidly connected therewith, and means connecting said torsion resistant body to the inner surface of the wall between said cross bars, whereby torsional stresses arising duringk movement of the gate against the water pressure will be resisted by said torsion resistant body.

4. Alock gate for sluices or the like, comprising a pivoting post, a closing jamb, horizontal cross bars secured to the post and said jamb, a wall connected with said cross bars at the high water side thereof, a torsion resistant body extending vertically through said cross bars and rigidly secured thereto, a diagonal member arranged on the lower water level side of the gate and having one of its ends connected to the upper end of the pivoting post and its other end secured to the lower end of the closing jamb, whereby torsional and twisting stresses arising during movement of the gate against the waterrpressure will be resisted respectively by said torsion resistant body and said diagonal member.

5. A lock gate for sluices or the like, comprising a pivoting post, a closing jamb, horizontal cross bars secured to the post and the jamb, a wall connected with the cross bars at the high water side thereof, and a buoyant torsion resistant body of hollow construction extending vertically through said cross bars and rigidly connected therewith, whereby torsional stresses arising during movement of the gate against the Water pressure will be resisted by said torsion resistant body.

6. A lock gate for sluices or the` like, comprising a pivoting post, a closing jamb, horizontal cross bars secured to the post and said jamb, a Wall connected with said cross bars at the high water side thereof, a tube extending through said cross bars and adapted to resist torsional stresses imparted to said gate during movement of the latter against the water pressure, means rigidly connecting said tube to said cross bars, and horizontal ribs connecting the tube with the inner surface of the wall between the cross bars.

7. A lock gate for sluices or the like, comprising a pivoting post, a closing jamb, horizontal cross bars secured tothe post and said jamb, a Wall connected with said cross bars at the high water side thereof, a tube extending through said cross bars and adapted to resist torsional stresses imparted to said gate during movement of the latter against the water pressure, means rigidly connecting said tube to said cross bars, and a vertical rib and horizontal ribs connecting the tube with the inner surface of the wall between the cross bars,

HANS ZIMMERMANN. 

